ViroCell Biologics and AvenCell Therapeutics entered a collaboration to manufacture a retroviral vector for novel allogeneic CAR-T therapies targeting blood cancers.
The collaboration will leverage ViroCell’s expertise in high-yield vector production.
It aims to accelerate the development of AVC-203, a CD19/CD20 dual-targeted cell therapy designed to treat B-cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases.
AVC-203 represents AvenCell’s second investigational cell therapy, offering an off-the-shelf solution to mitigate graft-versus-host disease and rejection by host T and NK cells.
The therapy is designed to enhance efficacy compared to existing CAR-T treatments, enabling immediate treatment and broader patient access at reduced cost and complexity.
The inclusion of AvenCell’s RevCAR (reversible universal chimeric antigen receptor) allows for additional antigen targeting beyond CD19 and CD20.
ViroCell CEO John W. Hadden II said: “We are thrilled to partner with AvenCell and support their innovative allogeneic CAR-T therapy platform.
“I am proud of Team ViroCell’s accomplishments on the successful end-to-end delivery of this retroviral vector and accelerating a novel therapy into clinical development in an area of high unmet need.
“We look forward to continuing our work with AvenCell on their exciting platform.”
AvenCell selected ViroCell for its proven track record in delivering high-yield vectors swiftly.
By integrating a cell line acquired by AvenCell into the GMP manufacturing process, ViroCell met AvenCell’s accelerated timeline.
The integration demonstrates ViroCell’s capability in complex manufacturing processes for allogeneic CAR-T therapies.
AVC-203 is anticipated to enter a Phase 1 study for relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma patients in the second half of 2025.
AvenCell CEO Andrew Schiermeier said: “We are delighted with ViroCell’s performance in process development and GMP manufacture of this complex retroviral vector.
“We selected ViroCell to support our platform because we knew that they could execute reliably in areas where other CDMOs can’t.
“The delivery of this retroviral vector for AVC-203 is proof that our trust in ViroCell was well placed.”
